Because You're Mine, I Walk The Line
by SincerelyCarmillaKarnstein
Summary: Laura, a six-year-old meets a mysterious woman that the town fears despite not knowing if Carmilla Karnstein is real or not. When Laura is eighteen, she learns whether the woman she met was a dream or not.


**A/N: Cory Xenos's video "Hollstein I walk the line" on Youtube had inspired this fic.**

 **I love Johnny Cash's song "I Walk The Line" and this cover by Halsey is haunting, which makes it very fitting for Hollstein.**

 **xxx**

The mere mention of the name Carmilla Karnstein can haunts children as they sleep. They fear everything when it's covered in darkness. They have been told many stories about the vampire that hunted at night, always searching for her next victim. Some of the stories involve her taking young women and bringing them to her maker, her adopted mother, to be drained of blood.

The children are threatened at night that if they don't go to sleep like they should, then Carmilla will take them to her maker. She might keep them trapped for a whole night in little cages like Pinocchio was kept in or would be forever used as a blood source.

The children always went to bed on time and obeyed this unspoken rule of never staying up after midnight. They must always have a

candle lit, a stake held near their heart, and a cross above their bed.

When the clock strikes four though, that is supposedly the time Carmilla Karnstein goes into the sleeping little town. She peeks through each window to make sure that the children are asleep.

The truth was that this was all supersticion despite some claiming that they saw Carmilla. Each description of her was beyond inaccurate. They said she was an old hag with sharp giant fangs and red eyes. Others said that she appeared to be a witch with warts and other unappealing things.

This was far from the truth and there was only one child that didn't fear her. Her name was Laura Hollis, a brave six year old that had just moved into the town with her father.

 **xxx**

It was very early in the morning, so the sun wasn't out to greet everyone. When the sun rose, everyone in town gave a sigh of relief when they learned that their children hadn't been taken in the night. No young women were taken from their beds either.

 **xxx**

"Papa, why is everyone so scared?"

Mr. Hollis bent down on his knee to look at his pretty little girl with her dirty blonde hair.

"In this town, there's a story about a woman that comes in the night to take children and young women away from their families."

"But why?"

"You're too young to know."

"Does she have a name?"

"Yes, Laura. Please come closer so I can whisper it in your ear."

Laura did as her Papa told her to do and he whispered the name.

"You must _never_ say her name."

"Why can't I say it? She has such a beautiful name!"

"Because it might put us in danger, my sweet little angel. Follow me to our new home."

He stood up, held onto his daughter's hand, and entered their home. They lived in the outskirts of the town called _Báthory_.

The name itself gives reason as to why a vampire by the name of Carmilla Karnstein would visit them.

 **xxx**

It was named after Countess Elizabeth Báthory, "the Infamous Lady", or "the Blood Countess". She was also known as being the world's worst female serial killer.

Supposedly, she would take servant girls, have them tortured and killed. She would bathe in the blood of virgin girls. She believed that it would keep her forever young.

There were at least 650 victims that had succumbed to such a dark fate. Her horrifying acts that resulted in death and torture were finally brought to light.

For punishment, Elizabeth was imprisoned for life in a room in her own castle that was boarded up with tiny slits for food and air.

After surviving for three and a half years,

she was found dead lying face down.

 **xxx**

It was only a coincidence though.

After all, nobody had even met Carmilla Karnstein.

For all they knew, she was just a fairy tale creature known as a vampire.

She wasn't real…

...or was she?

 **xxx**

Laura was in class and asked the teacher if the "woman" was real.

"What woman?"

"Papa said I'm not supposed to say her name."

"I don't know who you are talking about."

"I think she's real."

"If you know what's best for you, then you should forget this silly conversation at once. We don't spread rumors."

A little boy said, "If she _was_ real, then my papa would've got her by now!"

A little girl replied, "She's just made up to scare us. I stayed up late and wasn't snatched away!"

"That's cause you're not old enough!"

It continued on like this until the teacher told everyone to be quiet and focus on their lessons.

Laura, being as stubborn as she is, wouldn't let this go. Why would everyone be so scared of a woman that supposedly didn't exist? Even her own papa, a brave man, was terrified of her, this Carmilla Karnstein.

 **xxx**

She had devised a plan and for a six year old, she was well beyond her years. The kids at her new school only cared about what your typical six year old would. She spent her time "investigating" things that she probably shouldn't, like why they couldn't change what they ate at every meal or why their play time was so short.

Papa came to pick her up just like he did every day after he was finished with work. She loved him more than anything in the world and the loss of her mama was too great for either of them. It was something that plagued her mind whenever she saw children with their mamas.

Her papa did everything he could to cheer her up, especially when his wife's anniversary of her death came or her birthday. Each year had lessened the pain, but only slightly.

 **xxx**

Nightfall had come over the sleepy town and Laura was the one that stayed up late. She wanted to see if Carmilla Karnstein was real and whether she truly was as scary as everyone portrayed her to be.

Was she an ugly had like they had said?

Was she like the Evil Queen in Snow White?

She believed that she would soon find out.

 **xxx**

Midnight had come and gone, but she stayed up late until four in the morning, which was when Carmilla Karnstein came to the town of Báthory. Laura felt her eyes drooping when she saw someone walking down the street. Each time the stranger approached a light, it immediately extinguished itself.

Laura ran down the stairs to get a closer look at the stranger and she opened the door. She held her breath as the stranger had stopped directly in front of her house.

The strange woman wore all black, a black veil covering her face, and a charcoal colored gloves that went up to her elbows.

She knew that she should be frightened, but she wasn't. Her curiosity was getting the better of her. She began to approach the woman before her and was standing in front of her.

"Hello."

Carmilla Karnstein looked down at this little girl that was brave enough to look her in the eyes despite her veil covering her face.

"Hello Little One. Why are you out here in the cold in only your nightgown? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I wanted to see if you were real."

"And who exactly do you think I am?"

"Carmilla Karnstein."

"What have you learned about me?"

"That you're a vampire that steals young women and children so that you kill them by drinking their blood."

Carmilla had raised her veil so that she could see the little blonde girl better.

"Do you believe that?"

Laura couldn't speak for a moment because she was shocked by how beautiful she was. Her skin was ghostly pale, her piercing dark eyes seemed to see past her soul, and she was transfixed by her ruby red lips.

"I don't know if you do or not."

"Do you want to find out?"

"No, but I do want to ask you a question."

"What makes you think that it's appropriate to ask me a question?"

"I want to know and I won't take no for an answer."

"You are a very brave little girl."

"My Papa told me that you should never back down, no matter what."

"Your Papa sounds like a brave man."

"Yes, he is."

"I could take you away and nobody would be able to find you."

Laura stayed where she was.

"But you won't."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Because I think you are sad."

"I'm not sad, Little One."

"Your eyes say otherwise."

Carmilla, the murderous vampire, just smiled.

She waited a few moments before releasing her fangs.

"Do I frighten you now?"

"No."

"You should be."

Carmilla put her veil over her face once more and as she was walking away, Laura held onto her dress.

"Can I see you tomorrow night?"

She turned around and had gently had Laura release her hand from her dress.

"I'm afraid that this will be the only time that you will see me."

Laura could feel tears falling down her face and she couldn't understand why.

Carmilla felt her dead heart actually hurting from seeing this little girl cry.

"You must go to bed now, your Papa will be worried."

Laura wiped her tears away.

"I'm going to wait for you anyways."

"Farewell, Little One."


End file.
